INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY, THE INTERNET, AND YOU

1 9/12/03 2:08 PM Page 2. INFORMATION technology , THE INTERNET, AND YOU. OBJECTIVES After you have read this chapter, you should be able to: 1. Explain the five parts of an INFORMATION system: people, procedures, software, hardware, and data. 2. Distinguish between system software and application software. 3. Discuss the four kinds of system software programs. Copyright 2004 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved 4. Distinguish between special-purpose and general-purpose application software. 5. Identify the four types of computers and the three types of microcomputers. 6. Describe the different types of computer hardware including the system unit, input, output, storage, and communication devices. 7. Define data and describe document, worksheet, database, and presentation files.

2 8. Explain computer connectivity, the wireless revolution, and the Internet. 9/12/03 2:08 PM Page 3. CHAPTER 1. INFORMATION technology (IT): Just as the Internet and the Web have affected all of us, they have af- of INFORMATION technology in our lives. In subse- quent chapters, we will describe these parts of an 2. fected computer technology as well. Today, com- INFORMATION system in detail. munication links to the Internet are a common Fifteen years ago, most people had little to do 3. feature of almost all computer systems. Informa- with computers, at least directly. Of course, they tion technology is a modern term that describes filled out computerized forms, took computerized 4. this combination of traditional computer and com- tests, and paid computerized bills. But the real munication technologies.

3 The purpose of this book is to help you use and work with computers was handled by specialists . programmers, data entry clerks, and computer 5. understand INFORMATION technology . This involves operators. two aspects: computer competency and computer Then microcomputers came along and changed 6. knowledge. Computer competency refers to acquir- everything. Today it is easy for nearly everybody to Copyright 2004 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved ing computer-related skills. These skills are indis- pensable tools for today. They include how to use a computer. Now: 7. Microcomputers are common tools in all areas of efficiently and effectively use popular application life. Writers write, artists draw, engineers and packages and the Internet. Computer knowledge is scientists calculate all on microcomputers.

4 Stu- 8. a deeper understanding of how technology works. dents and businesspeople do all this, and more. It provides a foundation for you to understand how technology is being used today and how you New forms of learning have developed. People who are homebound, who work odd hours, or 9. might use technology in the future. For example, who travel frequently may take courses on the knowing how the Internet works provides the Web. A college course need not fit within the 10. usual time of a quarter or a semester. foundation for you to understand the potential of electronic commerce and to understand how infor- New ways to communicate, to find people with similar interests, and to buy goods are available. 11. mation about you can be collected and dispensed All kinds of people are using electronic mail, without your consent.

5 In this chapter, we first present an overview of electronic commerce, and the Internet to meet and to share ideas and products. 12. an INFORMATION system: people, procedures, soft- ware, hardware, and data. It is essential to under- What about you? How are you using informa- tion technology ? Many interesting and practical 13. stand these basic parts and how connectivity uses have recently surfaced to make our personal through the Internet and the Web expands the role lives richer and more entertaining. These applica- 14. tions range from recording digital video clips to creating personalized Web sites. 15. To be competent and knowledgeable with IT, you need to know the five parts of an INFORMATION sys- tem: people, procedures, software, hardware, and 16. data. Additionally, you need to understand connec- tivity, the wireless revolution, the Internet, and the Web and to recognize the role of INFORMATION tech- nology in your personal and professional life.

6 9/12/03 2:08 PM Page 4. INFORMATION SYSTEMS. An INFORMATION system has five parts: people, procedures, software, hardware, and data. Connectivity allows computers to connect and share INFORMATION , thereby greatly expanding the capability and usefulness of an INFORMATION system. W hen you think of a microcomputer, perhaps you think of just the equipment itself. That is, you think of the monitor or the keyboard. Yet, there is more to it than that. The way to think about a microcomputer is as part of an infor- mation system. An INFORMATION system has five parts: people, procedures, soft- ware, hardware, and data. (See Figure 1-1.). People: It is easy to overlook people as one of the five parts of a micro- computer system. Yet this is what microcomputers are all about making people, end users like you, more productive.

7 Copyright 2004 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved Procedures: The rules or guidelines for people to follow when using soft- ware, hardware, and data are procedures. These procedures are typically documented in manuals written by computer specialists. Software and hardware manufacturers provide manuals with their products. These man- uals are provided either in printed or electronic form. Software: A program consists of the step-by-step instructions that tell the computer how to do its work. Software is another name for a program or programs. The purpose of software is to convert data (unprocessed facts). into INFORMATION (processed facts). For example, a payroll program would instruct the computer to take the number of hours you worked in a week People Software Are end users who use Provides step-by-step in- computers to make them- structions for computer selves more productive hardware Procedures Specify rules or guidelines for computer operations Figure 1-1 The five parts of an INFORMATION system 4 CHAPTER 1 INFORMATION technology , the Internet, and You 9/12/03 2:08 PM Page 5.

8 (data) and multiply it by your pay rate (data) to determine how much you are paid for the week ( INFORMATION ). Hardware: The equipment that processes the data to create INFORMATION is called hardware. It includes the keyboard, mouse, monitor, system unit, and other devices. Hardware is controlled by software. Data: The raw, unprocessed facts, including text, numbers, images, and sounds are called data. Processed, data yields INFORMATION . Using the ex- ample above, the data (number of hours worked and pay rate) are processed (multiplied) to yield INFORMATION (weekly pay). Almost all of today's computer systems add an additional part to the infor- mation system. This part, called connectivity, allows computers to connect and to share INFORMATION . These connections, including Internet connections, can be by telephone lines, by cable, or through the air.

9 Connectivity allows users to greatly expand the capability and usefulness of their INFORMATION systems. In large computer systems, there are specialists who write procedures, de- velop software, and capture data. In microcomputer systems, however, end users often perform these operations. To be a competent and knowledgeable Copyright 2004 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved end user, you must understand the essentials of INFORMATION technology (IT), including software, hardware, and data. Concept Check What are the five parts of an INFORMATION system? What is the difference between data and INFORMATION ? What is connectivity? Data Consist of unprocessed facts including text, numbers, images, and sounds Hardware Connectivity Includes keyboard, mouse, Allows computers to monitor, system unit, and share INFORMATION and to other devices connect to the Internet INFORMATION Systems 5.

10 9/12/03 2:08 PM Page 6. PEOPLE. People are the most important part of an INFORMATION system. Features in this book include Making IT Work for You, Tips, and two interactive CDs. A lthough easy to overlook, people are surely the most important part of any INFORMATION system. Our lives are touched every day by computers and in- formation systems. Many times the contact is direct and obvious, such as when we create documents using a word processing program or when we con- nect to the Internet. Other times, the contact is not as obvious. Consider just the four examples in Figure 1-2. Throughout this book you will find a variety of features designed to help you become computer competent and knowledgeable. These features include Making IT Work for You, Tips, and two interactive CDs. Making IT Work for You.